News

African blackfooted penguin born at Monterey Bay Aquarium

By Kevin Howe - Monterey County Herald

Posted:
01/11/2011 09:36:06 PM PST

Updated:
01/11/2011 09:38:03 PM PST

Click photo to enlarge

A Monterey Bay Aquarium worker holds an African blackfooted penguin chick shortly after it hatched at the aquarium in Monterey. The chick, the first of its kind to hatch at the aquarium, will remain on exhibit with its parents through the end of January, before it is moved behind the scenes to become more acclimated to people.

MONTEREY - A captive penguin chick has been hatched at Monterey Bay Aquarium, a first for the institution.

The baby African blackfooted penguin made its appearance in the aquarium's Splash Zone: Ocean Homes gallery early Saturday to parents Umngane and Dassen in the penguin exhibit.

The chick is vocalizing and appears to be doing well, said Aimee Greenebaum, associate curator of aviculture at the aquarium.

"We're very excited to welcome our first penguin chick," she said.

"It's great to have a baby around."

Aquarium visitors are unlikely to see the chick soon because of its protective parents and a high nesting site inside the exhibit, according to aquarium scientists.

The new chick was first checked and weighed by staff veterinarian Mike Murray on Saturday and then returned to its parents for care and feeding. A second exam Monday revealed the chick doubled its weight to 4.2 ounces, Greenebaum said, which means the first-time parents are feeding it regularly.

"They're being very attentive," Greenebaum said.

Despite parental and veterinary care, Greenebaum cautioned that blackfooted penguin chicks have a high rate of mortality, especially those hatched to first-time parents.

If all goes well, the chick will remain in its nest for approximately three weeks or until it starts wandering out on its own, she said. Then staff will then move it behind the scenes where it will be hand-raised to become comfortable with people.

The chick will be raised as an "education bird," Greenebaum said, meaning it is likely to interact with the public as part of the aquarium's educational programs or those of another institution.

It will return to its Splash Zone exhibit in about 80 days, be introduced to the exhibit slowly, and remain under observation and removed at night until the staff feels confident it can swim, get in and out of the water, and not be harassed by other birds.

At some point, officials said, a blood test will be administered to see if the bird is male or female. Unlike many garden bird species, penguin gender cannot be differentiated by color or size and only a blood test will reveal it.

It will likely be named, like the other African blackfooted penguins in the exhibit, after a region in South Africa.

While many of the aquarium's penguin pairs have made nests before and sat on replica eggs, officials said, this is the first time the aquarium has been permitted to raise penguin chicks.

Because of their genetic importance to the captive population, the aquarium received permission to breed Umngane and Dassen from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, which accredits animal institutions in the United States, through its Species Survival Plan for African blackfooted penguins.

Visitors can keep up with the chick's progress at www.montereybayaquarium.org; Sea Notes blog, seanotesblog.org; and through its Facebook fan page, www.facebook.com/montereybayaquarium.